Scientific importance
by MikeJones2345
Summary: Professor Juniper runs into an old friend with a checkered past. But what business does he have with her?


Aurea Juniper awoke having fallen asleep at her lab again. She often did this but when she did she always ended up with backache a serious body odour so she had promised herself that even if she did she go home. She noticed something was odd however. The door was not locked and she always locked it. With all the valuable research data she had managed to acquire it would be foolhardy not to make sure it was always locked so far it to be open meant only one thing. She had an intruder. Aurea had a decision to make. Either confront the person or call the police immediately. Aurea decided she was going to be fearless on the chance that it's just Fennel coming round upset over her latest relationship drama after all she did have a key and her track record with men was just plain horrific and given the second team plasma had just fallen the odds were less of a risk.

She walked in and was surprised to see the figure sitting on her sofa clearly drinking her coffee. "you're working late as per usual" The familiar voice announced. This stopped the woman in her tracks. She couldn't believe it. "Colress." The former villainous leader simply smiled "at your you service. Professor Juniper" Aurea still wasn't sure what to make of this. "by the way I figured you'd be back a lot sooner so I liberated some of your coffee, I hope you don't mind." The female scientist eventually took a seat next to the plasma member. "Well compared to most of the crimes you are responsible for I'm sure that can be overlooked. Breaking and entering is one." Aurea was just still a bit shocked to see her former friend so brazenly coming into her house. She had barely seen much of him since their university days and now here he was. She had known him and considered themselves to be close friend but one day when she spoke to him, he started to barely say more than he had to she figured she had offended him somehow. She had later found out he had developed a crush on her and didn't know how to express it from Fennel. "

Should it really count as breaking and entering given how easy it was? It only took me 15 seconds of lock picking" Colress mused. "why are you here? Apart from stealing my coffee" asked Aurea. "don't get me wrong I'm honoured to have the leader of team plasma in my house but normally men don't break into my house without good reason" Colress smiled at the implication. "I came to give you this." Before handing her a small memory stick. "that drive has everything team plasma ever researched. Both versions. I figured that as the most brilliant researcher I ever knew you would make the best of it." I may be finished as a scientist but at least my research will carry on even slightly." This took Aurea back significantly. Colress had always been a little bit mysterious. Brilliant but not disciplined enough to do greatly academically. He'd got his masters at the same time as her but had never gone to do a formal PhD she'd lost track of him until he been rumoured to be a leader of team plasma. A rumour that had been proven true.

"who would hire a former terrorist leader in their lab? In short I can't be trusted." Aurea understood exactly what he meant. While the person in question was a brilliant researcher few would ever allow him access to the valuable equipment he would need in order to perform the high level of research that he was capable of. "why did you join them?" asked Aurea. "you got lucky when you got the position you did. It's not that you didn't deserve it but no matter how hard I tried I could never get my foot in the door. Team plasma offered me unlimited resources as long as I did the research they wanted and allowed me to work on whatever I wanted in my spare hours. I took the easy way out." Aurea smiled and nodded understanding. Academia was a tough world and sometimes even a brilliant mind could miss out. "you could have come to me." Stated Aurea.

He simply shrugged "pride. I wanted to stand on my own two feet." Colress simply paused thinking for a moment before elaborating. "perhaps a little bit of jealousy." Aurea smiled at this. The awkward boy she used to know was admitting something that she knew was hard for most people to admit letting alone someone as prideful as he was. She placed the memory stick in her jacket pocket to let him know she was taking his respect for her seriously. Colress stood up "I met your students by the way. Colress changed the subject. "you should be proud." Aurea nodded "I am, I always had faith in them but they exceeded my expectations." Now it was Colress' time to smile "they made me see the world in a whole new way like you once did. They have an amazing teacher" Aurea blushed at this compliment. "well I appreciate your time tonight…. I just needed to know the reach would be with someone I trust. I'd best head back to the frigate" Aurea just pulled a confused look. "oh right the team plasma frigate is docked at the old p2 laboratory these days. The team plasma members lived there until they can found other work." Aurea pulled him back "and how do you know I won't tell the police that's where you are?" challenged Aurea, Colress just smiled back at her. "the police already know…however someone high up decided not to have most of us prosecuted. Guess our justice system isn't very reliable. I formally gave myself up shortly after losing to your student" Aurea understood he wasn't living on the boat in order to hide he simply had no-where else to go. Even prison. "I see."

Colress bowed after this "thank you." Before beginning to move towards the door. "wait a moment" before smiling a wicked smile. "I am looking for an assistant." Colress stopped in his tracks. What the professor was offering was not just a job but a second chance. However, Colress also saw the risk for his friend "I couldn't possibly put you in that position" Aurea Juniper however did not back down. "trust me I only ever allow myself to be in positions I want to be." Responded Aurea completely intending it to be a bit flirty. "I can handle the slings and arrows whatever they might say about me…. but can you? Can you accept what they will say about you? And most importantly can you swallow your pride and accept a help from an old friend." asked Aurea. "I would be honoured to work for you." Colress relented, He should have known his friend would win this one as she always had in the past and apparently even his evil deeds weren't enough to make her give up on him. "when can you start?" asked Aurea not wanting there to be any ambiguousness or a chance for her friend to back out this was one of her riskier ideas in terms of her reputation but she knew she'd never regret it as she would never give up on a friend. She also knew that while academically he had been shaky in terms of intelligence there were none better. Colress knew the answer quite quickly. "in terms of work I can start immediately. Finding somewhere to live will be difficult but that's the only thing that's holding me back." Aurea shrugged. "the sofa's not bad for a little while." Colress merely bowed. He couldn't think of a thing left that was appropriate to say in this situation. "well I'm going to get some sleep. I'd advise you get some as well, we have a busy day tomorrow and trust me your new boss is going to work you like a mule." Colress for once was happy. His friend had seen through all the evil he had done in the world and was going above and beyond not only to get him a second chance but to trust him enough to be in her own house after he broke in. "at your service" was all he could say he had no words that really did it justice but he would show it with his diligence.


End file.
